Is it Really Worth it?
by HannahMcBills
Summary: Damon leaves the house before Elena wakes up a vampire only to meet a girl who seems to want him, a perfect stranger, to be happy. As Teresa offers her kindness to the upset Damon, the vampire begins to wonder if Elena is really worth all the hurt he's putting her through… For all the fangirls who think Damon deserves someone who'll love him as much as he loves her! Season 4


**Summary – Damon leaves the house before Elena wakes up a vampire only to meet a girl who seems to want him, a perfect stranger, to be happy. As Teresa offers her kindness to the upset Damon, the vampire begins to wonder if Elena is really worth all the hurt he's putting her through… For all the fangirls who think Damon deserves someone who'll love him as much as he loves her! Set during season 4 (I'll be trying to keep it to the series for a bit because the conversations between Teresa and Damon would be off camera anyways…**

**A.N: Hope you like and please review if you want me to continue :)**

Damon was sat downstairs, Stefan, his ridiculously selfish brother, was upstairs with _her_... The _her _was a girl called Elena, a girl Damon had cared for since he'd first met her.

And he'd met her first! That's what she'd said _"If I had met you first, maybe things would be different."_. _Different_ meaning that Damon could love her instead of his brother.

Stefan came down the stairs; he looked tired; the bag under his eyes indicated something other than just tiredness... Hunger, anger, vengeance. But Damon knew from experience that none of these would truly be satisfied.

"Not going to ask how she is?" Stefan remarked as he poured himself a drink, Damon didn't so much as look at him before replying sharply,

"She's a vampire, so she's fine." Damon heard his brother's sigh as the younger man began walking back towards the stairs. "Who are you planning to let her feed on?" Damon stood up and walked slowly over to his brother. "Matt? Jeremy? Bonnie? Hmm, we seem to be running out of human _playmates_, have you noticed?" That last sentence stung Damon as much as it stung Stefan. Alaric, the thought echoed through Damon's mind along with a throb of sadness.

"She's not going to have to if she doesn't want to!" Stefan snapped.

"Oh, sorry, did I touch a raw nerve?" Damon tutted, the younger vampire sprung around to glare at him.

"We are going to exhaust every possible way of keeping her human - feeding is a last resort." Damon could see the pain in his brother eyes but he didn't care; he had to make Stefan feel something after all of those years when Damon was grieving over their parents and friends and Stefan just turned himself off. _This is fair_, Damon reminded himself, _because this is what he did to me with Katherine_.

"Feeding," Damon walked forward so they were toe to toe, "is the only option." Stefan looked like he was ready to smack him but instead he just turned back to the stairs and disappeared up them. Some part of Damon wanted to apologise but another part of him, a much more dominate part, told him to grab a bottle of their best whiskey and go for a walk so that's just what he did.

Damon thought about going to sit next to Alaric's grave but something stopped him; Damon wasn't sure if it was the guilt for not being able to keep his best friend alive or the idea that he might start crying, something that Damon Salvatore never did and never would do. He took a swig of his bottle and sat down heavily on a bench, he was in the middle of the park and there seemed to be no one else about.

The vampire closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Something wrong?" Damon almost jumped but managed to stop himself, he cast his eyes to the direction the sound had come from.

"Perhaps, why? Who are you?" The girl stepped forwards; her hair was a deep chocolate brown but her eyes where so blue they almost glowed in the dark.

"I'm just a passing stranger who just so happened to wonder why a young man looked so sad on such a beautiful night." She smiled and sat beside him on the bench; he raised an eyebrow then decided that maybe he should tell someone... He needed to talk to someone and this girl was right here. Besides - he could just wipe her memory afterwards.

"A friend of mine-" She laughed, Damon sighed and glared over at her. "Are you going to let me tell you or not?"

"Sorry..." She frowned and pouted cutely; Damon rolled his eyes and continued.

"So, as I was saying, a friend of mine really likes this girl-"

"But his brother likes her too?" The girl interrupted, Damon shot her a glare.

"Pretty much, but m- his brother," The girl raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. "Would rather let her die than let her be what she is." Damon sighed, he couldn't really think of a better way to put it but the girl nodded; he wasn't sure if she was taking this as a literal thing or if she thought he meant die in an emotional sense.

"Perhaps," She paused to contemplate her reply further before continuing. "You - or your friend, rather - should let the girl live out her life and then when she's ready she'll come to you." Damon kept the emotion off his face. "But then again," She smiled, "Maybe you're a dick and don't deserve her." Damon cracked a smile.

"Okay, so how about you? What are you doing out here so late at night?" Damon's quest to change the subject was obvious but the girl didn't seem to mind.

"My reasoning is simple - my mother is being an overprotective creep and I needed a break." Damon chuckled at the way she said it, like it didn't matter at all in the world.

"So you're willing to put yourself in danger to get a bit of breathing room?"

"Danger?"

"You know - all the murders that have happened lately." The girl smiled and looked away. "What? You want to be killed?" The girl snorted and shook her head.

"I do not court death - I just simply do not fear it." And with that the girl stood up, she held out her hand which Damon, almost happily, shook.

"You're leaving?"

"Yup."

"I thought you weren't afraid to be out late..." The vampire teased, the girl smiled.

"I'm not but I'm tired so goodnight." She turned and began to walk away when Damon stood up.

"Wait up!" He took a step towards her. "You didn't tell me your name!"

"Teresa… And you?"

"Damon." He paused. "Can I have your number?"

"Oh, sorry, I don't give my number out to strangers!" Teresa stuck her tongue out and laughed. "Maybe if we meet again..." She gave him one last smile and wandered off down the path. Damon didn't follow her, he didn't see any reason too - something told him she wouldn't tell anyone about him, especially if she wasn't even supposed to be out this late.


End file.
